Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => Bee News => Topic started by: Wandering Man on March 18, 2018, 09:45:52 am

Title: Who needs bees when we have Walmart?
Post by: Wandering Man on March 18, 2018, 09:45:52 am

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/science/2018/03/15/walmart-robot-drone-bees-patent/428935002/

Title: Re: Who needs bees when we have Walmart?
Post by: apisbees on March 18, 2018, 01:48:12 pm

I will not hold my breath. They may get the technology to work in a green house plot area but for almonds? An almond crop pollination colony on average has lets say 5000 foragers. Even if the drones were 10 times more efficient than bees they would need 500 to replace a colony and at a pollination density of 2 hives per acre that would mean 1000 drones per acre. The flowers are only viable to be pollinated for 5 days, so they would need sufficient drones to cover the bloom as it is ready.
Just my 2 cents worth.